Friday, October 14, 2011

Genea-Musings Scenario 1 (Roots Magic 4 to FTM2012) - Part 3

If a user creates a GEDCOM file using FTM 2012 (or any other program) that includes Media file links to files on the user's computer, and then transmits that GEDCOM file to another computer (his own or someone else's), the user will have to send the Media file folder contents to that other computer. If the link text to the Media files do not reflect the file folder names on the receiving computer, then the links will have to be changed, or the Media will have to be properly linked to the Persons or Facts.

This is, I think, the heart of the GEDCOM transport where Media files are involved. The GEDCOM gets the Data from one place to the other. The Media files are NOT part of the GEDCOM, as I hope has been shown in earlier blog posts, only links to them.

What must happen 'next' is to get the information in the Media Folder, for that file, from one user to the other. The "sending" user needs to look at the contents of the Media Folder, for number of Media files, and the Size of Space used by the Media Folder, using Windows Explorer.

Using Windows Explorer and navigating to the Media Folder for the test file for Roots Magic 4, and Right Clicking on the Folder Name, there are 2 files in that folder and the total size of the folder is 252 KB. That entire folder will probably fit into an email.

Email limitations for more Media files and larger Media files other options will have to be explorer to get the Media to the other user.
When the receiving user receives the Media Folder or files, they would have to be saved where that user wants them saved. If the receiving end user is also using Family Tree Maker, they can be saved in the < filename > Media folder for that file. The "Find Missing Media" or CTRL+F5 feature can be used by that user.

If the receiving end user is a Roots Magic 4 user, each of the Media files would have to be manually inserted into Roots Magic 4.

I am only using Roots Magic 4 as an example. AND this is not a negative comment on Family Tree Maker nor Roots Magic 4. This issue is a generic GEDCOM issue. As I have said before, I am not an authority on GEDCOM, I only know that the "industry" has not uniform way of Sharing our genealogy research.

So, when sharing our research, both the sender and receiver of a GEDCOM, which includes Media files, have work to do.

Where to get Help

A Blog is not a very helpful place to troubleshoot a problem with Family Tree Maker. There is plenty of help, in the Help Menu of the program that is specific to where you are in the program; In the Help Menu, there is a link to the Knowledge Base website, called Online Help Center.